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The transition from apartheid to democracy necessitated radical transformation within the South African political, socio-economic and education landscape. Black and coloured students were only fit for unskilled or semi-skilled occupations resulting in under-qualified and poorly trained professionals. Since the inception of democracy, there was a need to respond to the needs of a modern democratic South African society. The need for economic transformation emerged from the inheritance of an economy built on exclusion due to racial division and inequalities. There was a need for curriculum and economic intervention to include fundamental principles of citizenship education to promote human rights, democracy and active citizenry. This paper discusses the manner in which active citizenship education can bring about economic transformation in a modern developing democracy in South Africa. Through a conceptual framework, the paper also demonstrates the evolution of citizenship with the notion of critical emancipation through active citizenship education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]